Supporting frame for record sheets



March 2, 1943. 5H. .FREE DMAN ,3

SUPPORTING FRAME FOR RECORD SHEETS Filed Feb. 27, 1941 INVENTOR BENJ/lM/N A. fkffo/m/v ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 2, 1943 UNITED srarssrarsar or ies This invention relates to supports or supporting frames for account sheets, tally sheets, record sheets or the like and to an account sheet particularly suited for such supports.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide an improved support or supporting frame for account sheets, tally sheets, record sheets or the like, particularly for use with a group of record sheets where a number of facsimiles or carbon copies are simultaneously produced.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved support or supporting frame for account sheets, tally sheets, record sheets or the like of large dimension or size approaching 8% inches by 16 inches of the type pad extensively used to be subsequently bound in loose leaf ledgers.

' It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved support or supporting device for mounting large account sheets, tally sheets,.record sheets and the like in folded form so that both faces may be exposed for receiving written matter preparatory to binding them in loose leaf ledgers or the like as a permanent record.

More specifically, the support or preliminary binder sheets essentially of two open frames and an intermediate baseboard of suitable rigid material all hinged to one another, the baseboard to receive the account sheets folded over upon it to extend substantially across the entire two opposite faces of said baseboard, and then the two frames folded over upon the sheet so supported by the baseboard and secured in place, in turn, to secure the accounting sheet in place against accidental displacement while receiving written matter or the like.

These and other features, capabilities and ad-. vantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a set of pad sheets with intervening carbon sheets folded midway and removed from a pad;

' Fig. 2 is a perspective of the support before receiving a set of folded pad sheets;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the support after having received a set of folded pad sheets and before closing the support;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the support with a group of folded pad sheets in closed form; and

Fig; 5 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 4.

The support constituting one of the main features of the present invention consists essentially of two frame members I and 2 and an intermediate plate 3. The plates I and 2 in the interest of economical manufacture are preferably identical to one another in outline, composed of some suitable light weight metal, and produced by a stamping operation. Each plate consists of an outer longitudinally extending bar 4, an inner longitudinally extending bar 5 and two end bars 6 and I. The outer corners of each plate I,

' 2 are rounded as indicated at 8. From the inner edge of each bar 4, as shown in the present in-' stance, there extend three small tongues, lips or projections 9, I0 and II. From the inner edge of each of the end bars 6 and I, as shown in the present instance, there extends one tongue, the tongue I2 from the end bar 6 and the tongue I3 from the end bar I. In addition, each plate I, 2, as an instance the plate I, see Fig. 4, has three cylindrical pin receiving hinge members I4, I5 and I6 and a number of indentations I'I, I3, I9, 20 and 2i, the indentations I1 and I8 being formed in the projections or lips I2 and It, respectively, and the indentations I9, 20 and 2| formed in the longitudinal side bar 5. In the characteristics so far described, the frames I and 2 are substantially identical and when assembled they are superimposed upon one another with the plate 3 intervening and the frames I and 2 reversed to one another and in fact and so that the hinge portions I4, I5 and I6 are not superimposed upon one another but disposed adjacent to one another, as shown in Fig. 4. v V The indentations I! to 2i, inclusive, are produced in the plates I and 2 so that they form inwardly extending portions on the inner faces of the plates I and 2 when in assembled form for the purpose hereinafter to be described. v

The intervening plate 3, see particularly'Fig. 2, is preferably composed of a smooth inperforate sheet sufficiently rigid to support a paper sheet or other flexible record receiving sheet, and in form or outline conforms substantially to three of the sides of the plates I and 2 so that the outer edges of the end bars 6 and l and of the side bars 5, even to the rounded corner portions 8, will substantially align with the edges 22, 23 and 24 of the plate 3, so that, in turn, the edges 22 and 23 of the plate 3 will substantially align with the outer edges of the end bars 6 and I of the plates I and 2 in closed position, that shown in Fig. 4, and similarly the edge 24 of the plate 3 substantially aligns with the outer edges of the side bars 5 of the plates I and 2 in closed or folded position, that shown in Fig.

4. The remaining edge 25 of the plate 3 recedes from the corners thereof to form the shoulders 28 and 2! adjacent the rounder corner portions 28, see Fig. 2. The edge 25 is preferably parallel to the edge 24 and when closed, see Fig. 2, is spaced a slight distance from the inner edges of the side bars 4 sufdciently to permit the transmission of light between the inner edges of the side bars 4 and the outer face of the fold of the group of record sheets mounted on said plate 3, as hereinafter to be described.

Integral with and disposed adjacent to the edge 24 of the plate 3, there are formed the cylindrical pin receiving hinge members 29, 38 and 3|.

The inward projections formed by the indentations I! to 2|, inclusive, of the plate 2 will align with and oppose the inward projections formed by the indentations 2| to H, inclusive, respectively, of the plate I. In order to clear such projections and thus enable the plates 2 and 3 intimately to engage one another when not supplied with any record sheets, there are provided the orifices 3'2, 3'3, 34, 35 and 36 in alignment with the opposing projections formed by the indentations l'! to 2|, inclusive, of the plates and 2. With a group of record sheets, these projections H to 2| and orifices 32 to 35 will thus cooperate to grip the record sheets and anchor them against accidental displacement.

The plates I, 2 and 3 obviously may be produced initially by a stamping operation in which the die for the plates I and 2 may be one and the same. The ferrules or cylindrical pin receiving members [4, l5, I5, 2 9, 38, 3| may then be bent over in accordance with well-known machine shop practice.

The position of the pin receiving members 29, 38 and 3| of the plate 3 are arranged with reference to the position of the members l4, l5 and 16 of the plates l and 2, as shown in Fig. 4, so that they may all be disposed in alignment with one another and adjacent to one another to receive a hinge pin 3'! in the usual way, and to enable using one and the same die for the plates 1 and -2. The hinge members 29 and 3| of the plate 3 are disposed to form the end of the pin receiving members, and the member 38 disposed to form the middle pin receiving memher with the pin receiving members L6 and I5 of plate I disposed between the members 29 and 30 of plate 3 and adjacent to said members 29 and 38, respectively, with the member M of the plate 2 disposed between the ,members l6 and I5 of plate Furthermore, between the members 38 and. 3| of the plate 3 and disposed adjacent thereto .are provided the members l5 and I6, respectively, of plate 2 with the member M of plate 1 disposed between the members I5 and I8 of plate 2.

Plate 1 differs from plate 2 in that it has secured to the outer face of its side arm 4 pivotally mounted clips 88 and 39. These clips 38 and 3'91have indentations 48 and 4| to cooperate with the projections 42 and 43, respectively, to anchor the clips 38 and 39 in frame closing position, that shown 'in Fig. 4. The clips 38 and 39 also have the U-shaped extensions 44 and 45, respectively, to engage the outer edge of the side arm 4 .of the plate 2 in frame closing position, see particularly Fig. 4.

In practice, when record sheets such as shown in'Fig. 1 are used, a sheet 45 from a pad is provided in area substantially twice the area of one face of the plate 3 omitting the border adjacent the edges 22 and 23, as shown in Fig. 3. This sheet 46 is initially folded midway and then the sheet mounted on the plate 3 with the inner face of the folded edge of the sheet 46 engaging the edge 25. In the embodiment shown and as typifying an actual case, four sheets 45 from a pad are used. The pad may be composed of a number of groups of four sheets, each group, in the present instance, consisting of a brown colored sheet 48, a green colored sheet 49, a yellow colored sheet 58 and a white colored sheet 5|.

The four sheets 48, 49, 58 and 5| constitute a group each provided with intervening facsimile producing or carbon sheets 55, 55 and 51 in which case the brown sheet 48 would constitute the original and the sheets 49, 58 and 5| would constitute copies. In actual practice, the carbon sheets 55, 56 and 51 are initially positioned, as shown in Fig. 1. The group of sheets 48 to 5| folded to assume the form shown in Fig. 1 will be mounted upon the plate 3, see Fig. 3, between the shoulders 26 and 2'! with the inner face of the folded edge of the sheet 5| and therefore of the group engaging the edge 25 of the plate 3'. The outer free edges of the sheets 48 to 5|, inclusive, will then extend approximately to the inner edge 24 of the plate 3, as shown in Fig. 3. The group of sheets are then ready to be secured in position on the support by folding over the plates and 2 toward the plate 3 or else fold the plate 3 with its group of sheets first down upon the plate I and then fold the plate 2 over upon the plate 3 and finally turn the clips 31 and 38 into the position shown in Fig. 4. When so folded together, the folded edge will clear the inner edges of the side bars 4 to permit the transmission of light therethrough. This is desirable so that the attendant may be assured that the sheets are properly mounted upon the plate 3. In this folded position, the group of sheets 48 to 5| will have their free ends extending down to the hinge, that is well over the side bars 5 of the plates and 2. The portion of the sheets adjacent the fold including the plate I engaging the lips 9, I8 and II of the plates and 2 and the edges adjacent the end bars 6 and 1 preferably extending within the lips |2 and I3 of the plates and 2. In this way it will be seen that the projections on the lips |2, l3 and side bars 5 will press into the group of sheets and, in turn, press the portion so engaged into the orifices 3.2 to 38, inclusive, so to anchor the sheets 48 to 5| against accidental displacement. With supports of the type characterized by the features just described, the records to be produced on the original or outer sheet 48 preferably have a free margin which will in the support be disposed under the side bar 5 of the plate I.

The tremendous advantages of the support, including the frames 2 and 3 with a pad such as 41 having groups of sheets, such as 48 to 5|, must be apparent from the aforesaid detail description. In the first place, an effective control or a guide is presented by the pad for the insertion of the carbon sheets and for maintaining the same in proper alignment when the group of sheets 48 to 5| with the inserted carbon sheets are folded before removing the group of sheets 48 to 5| inclusive, from a pad. In the next place, the imperforate intervening plate 3 forms a rigid base for entering notes and records on the sheets '48 to 5| without danger of .disarr-ang-' ing one of the facsimile constituting sheets 49 to El relative to the original 48 when the three plates I, 2 and 3 with their particular anchoring means are in closed position.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of an intervening imperforate plate and two border forming frame plates hinged to one another for a record sheet folded in half over said imperforate plate as a base with its folded edge engaging a free edge of the intervening imperforate plate, the area of the imperforate plate conforming substantially to the overall areas of said frame plates and larger than the opem'ngs formed by said frame plates and positioned relative to one another to enable the border forming frame plates to engage edges of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate.

2. The combination of an intervening imperforate metal base plate and two interchangeable identical sheet metal border forming frame plates, said plates having aligned cylindrical pin receiving members and a common hinge pin for said members, the plates forming a support for, a record sheet folded in half over said imperforate plate as a base with its folded edge engaging a free edge of the intervening plate, the area of the imperforate plate conforming substantially to the overall areas of said frame plates and larger than the openings formed by said frame plates and positioned relative to one another to enable the border forming frame plates to engage edges of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate.

3. The combination of an intervening imperforate plate and two border forming frame plates hinged to one another along adjacent edges for a record sheet folded in half over said imperforate plate as a base with its folded edge engaging a free edge of the intervening imperforate plate, the area of the imperforate plate conforming substantially to the overall areas of said frame plates and larger than the openings formed by said frame plates and positioned relative to one another to enable the border forming frame plates to engage all but one of the edges of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate, the border forming frame plates parallel to one another to form enclosed openings parallel to one another, the free edge of the intervening plate opposite to its hinged edge terminating just inwardly of adjacent inner edges of said border forming frame plates to form a space between the folded edge of the record sheet and said adjacent inner edges of said border forming frame plates.

4. The combination of an intervening imperforate plate and two border forming frame plates hinged to one another along adjacent edges for a record sheet folded in half with its folded edge engaging one edge of the intervening imperforate plate and the border forming frame plates engaging edges of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate, the border forming frame plates parallel to one another to form enclosed openings parallel to one another, the free edge of the intervening plate opposite to its hinged edge terminating just inwardly of adjacent inner edges of said border forming frame plates to form a space between the folded edge of the record sheet and said jadjaoent inner edges of said border forming frame plates, and lips extending inwardly from the edges of said border forming frame plates adjacent to the free edge of said intervening plate to engage the sheet covered over the edge of said intervening plate in closed position of said plates.

5. The combination of an intervening imperforate plate for a record sheet folded in half over said imperforate plate with its folded edge engaging one edge of said imperforate plate, two rectangular border forming frame plates, said plates having aligned cylindrical pin receiving hinge members, a common hinge pin for said members, the border forming frame plates engaging edges of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate, and projections formed on the inner faces of said border forming frame plates, there being orifices in said imperforate plate registering with said projections to enable portions of the sheet to be pressed into said orifices by said projections to grip the sheet in place.

6. The combination of an intervening imperforate plate having a receiving edge terminated by shoulders, and two border forming frame plates, the edge of the imperforate plate opposite to said receiving edge and adjacent edges of said border forming frame plates being hinged to one another, said imperforate plate forming a base for a record sheet folded in half over said imperforate plate with its folded edge engaging said receiving edge and positioned by said shoulders, the border forming frame plates engaging end and side portions of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate.

7. The combination of an intervening imperforate plate and two border forming frame plates hinged to one another along adjacent edges for a record sheet folded in half over said imperforate plate as a base with its folded edge engaging a free edge of the intervening imperforate plate, the area of the imperforate plate conforming substantially to the overall areas of said frame plates and larger than the opening formed by said frame plates and positioned relative to one another to enable the border forming frame plates to engage edges of the record sheet to secure it in place on said intervening plate, and latches on one of the free edges of said frame forming plates removed from the hinged edge thereof to cooperate with the free edge of the other frame forming plate to secure the plates to one another with the intervening sheet covered imperforate plate.

BENJAMIN H. FREEDMAN. 

